Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Autumn Statement by the Chancellor will only increase the risk that we end up with gleaming science labs connected by poorly-maintained pot-holed roads as local history repeats itself with numerous local bodies fighting each other in a woefully inadequate governance structure for a city that ministers claim is the jewel in the economic crownContinue reading “Cambridge is malfunctioning while the county is broken down”

My struggle against this strange phenomenon while burdened with the millstone of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that took over a decade to get a diagnosis for – over which time my city’s population grew by over 20,000 people. I went to Mark Thomas’s latest show in Cambridge in which he basically tore the Tories to pieces.Continue reading “Becoming irrelevant in a rapidly-changing city”

Transport Director Peter Blake and Board Chair Cllr Elissa Meschini (Labour – King’s Hedges, & Deputy Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council) faced nearly an hour of questions submitted by listeners – so many that they have agreed to come back for a second round In an interview that reflects the importance of BBC local radio,Continue reading “Jeremy Sallis of BBC Radio Cambridgeshire cross-examines senior figures from the Greater Cambridge Partnership”

At very short notice, Abbey Ward city councillors Naomi Bennett and Dr Hannah Copley – along with myself threw as many Qs as we possibly could about the principles of what the developers say will be an improved retail offer. I only found out about it this morning. …and furthermore had no information on whereContinue reading “First proposals for the Cambridge Retail Park on Newmarket Road”

The Combined Authority publishes new papers on an eventful day that sees the Mayor Dr Nik Johnson taking an extended leave of absence on medical grounds. I hope Dr Nik Johnson gets better soon – he’s in safe hands at Royal Papworth that operated on me less than a year ago. The message he gaveContinue reading “Light rail freight for Wisbech, and a County bus strategy (in draft).”

Replacing the restaurant area with a new studio theatre form a core part of their new plans The plans are described on the Greater Cambridge Planning Service Planning Portal – both 22/04228/FUL (the main application) and 22/04229/LBC (request for consent to make alterations to a listed building, which the Cambridge Arts Theatre is). “Refurbishment ofContinue reading “Cambridge Arts Theatre’s new plans”

As predicted by the Bank of England (“The longest recession ever“), with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt [“The Minister for Murdoch”] set to play the catastrophic part of Conservative Chancellor Neville Chamberlain (1931-37), the latter who later went on to become Prime Minister before being forced out by his back benchers. Like Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.Continue reading “The Great Depression Mark II”

…and not only that, the governance of England and its place in the United Kingdom mindful of the existence of the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Parliament, and Northern Ireland Assembly (which were not around last time around) You can read the following: The Redcliffe-Maud Report – the Royal Commission of 1966-69 The main documents of whatContinue reading “Parliament calls for major overhaul of local government in England”

While I have my own grandiose ideas for what a future Cambridge should include, I think it’s even more important that we make it a routine action to involve children and young people in a meaningful way on future decisions about our city. For they have to live with it longer than us oldies do.Continue reading “Imagine the future of your city. What things stop this from happening? What changes to the law are needed to remove existing barriers?”

A very bad day at the depot for Stagecoach as dozens of services are cancelled at short notice – to the rage and fury of passengers and local councillors alike. But will a future government remove the outdated, archaic and ideologically-driven restrictions on how councils provide public services? It was a rubbish day to beContinue reading “UK Cities will never achieve their potential while Central Government forces poor service providers onto them”